Jan 4, 2016

Recording Books You Read

by Bronwyn Jameson

I'm no longer a fan of New Year's resolutions -- too many failures in my past! -- but as the calendar clicks over from December to January, I always reflect on the previous twelve months and think about what I'd like to do better going forward.

In 2015 I did not read as much, or as consistently, as I like to...in fact, as I need to. There was simply too much happening within my family, too little time left for immersing myself in storyland, too many books started and then left neglected for days, weeks, months.

At the end of year, I really enjoy reading "Best Of" lists from other readers, not only to see if I share some of their selections but to hunt for recommendations as I head into my post-Christmas readathon. Because I spent so much of 2015 switched off from the reading world, I missed new releases from favourite authors...or I one-clicked them and they remain unread* on my Kindle. (*I intend to rectify this during the next few weeks.)

When I attempted to reflect on my favourite reads of 2015, I found it near impossible to remember what I read and enjoyed. Perhaps because my mind and emotions were all over the place and rarely focused in a book, but also I suspect because of my advanced age. These days I need a list to get through each day!

Which brings me to the point of my post: logging books read. I have never done this, despite being the personality type who spreadsheets pretty much everything else. I am seriously considering starting a spreadsheet today -- right after I publish this post -- to record the books I read this year. I like the idea of a resource from which I can select My Favourite Books of 2016. From which I can nominate my favourites for the ARRA awards. So I can reflect on which genres caught my attention, which kept me most intrigued, and which didn't manage to hold my attention.

I'd love to know what others do as far as recording their reading. Do you log the books you read in any shape or form? If so, what do you record about each book? If not, are you able to recall your favourites when it comes to year's end?

PS: I DO have a favourite book from 2015, and it's this little beauty by my uber-talented daughter-in-law.

19 comments:

Happy new year to you and your family and I do hope that you get more reading time this year :)

I have a word doc on my PC that I list all of the books I read and I always do that on Goodreads too I leave a review on Goodreads but my word doc is just the name of the book author and what month I read it in and I have been doing this for quite a few years now and it helped lots yesterday when I cast my nominations for the ARRA awards (that was hard so many fab stories )

As for favourite books this past year wow so many one of the best I read was Barbara Hannay's The Secret Years the list could go on I find it very hard to choose just one I read across all genres and there are too many to list :)

Happy New Year to you and yours, Helen. Hope the year brings many, many wonderful reading adventures your way.

I think a simple doc or spreadsheet would suit me -- nothing which takes too much time -- just to jog my memory at year's end.

The Secret Years is one of those books which I bought and lingers unread. I think I will devote the next weeks to favourite local (ANZ) authors whose books I missed during 2015. That catch-up will be so satisfying!

This is a brilliant idea, Bron. I never remember which books I've read. Alas....I can see myself never quite getting aroudn to doing it. Love the look of your DIL's book although my hubby has banned me from buying another cookbook until I actually cook something out of the hundreds that own :-)One of my fav finds for 2015 was The Emotion Thesaurus - it's a bloody gem!

Oh, I think I may have bought the Emotion Thesaurus and not looked at it. Must rectify that!

I have been cooking from Anna's book -- just finished a quinoa and sweet potato and goat's cheese salad from her book for dinner -- and really enjoying trying some new ingredients. I realised I've been stuck in a cooking/eating rut.

Bron, I know what you mean about the reading. Mine dropped off a lot due to family stuff taking centre place. Hoping to rectify that in 2016. I smiled reading your post as I used to keep a list of books read when I was in my teens. I also kept a list of books I wanted to read - often ones mentioned in the ones I'd read and enjoyed. Would love to find those lists now. I wonder if they got thrown out years ago? I may have to start some list keeping like you. Here's hoping you get to add lots to your record soon.

So far I've been using Goodreads to track what I read and on some books to review them.This year the intentions are:- continue using Goodreads to track what I want to read- continue using Goodreads to track what I've read including giving every book read a rating even if I'm not reviewing it.- create a writing record of what I've read (including date started and finished) <-- for that I've created stickers using the images of covers for those that are on my 2016 reading list and also those that are near the top of the to read list.- last intention is to add each book on the ereader to a notebook as I'm losing track of which ebooks I do and don't own. With this they will be noted once I've read a title so that if it's not a keeper I delete it from the reader and laptop, and don't note it down.

Lyn, I love your list of intentions for recording your reading and keeping track of the books you've bought. Good luck with that; you must let us know how it works out for you.

Goodreads sounds popular for recording and the rating system would help with identifying the best of the best. Hmm, something to consider...although I could use a similar rating system in my spreadsheet. I'm a bit afraid it (GR) would be become any time drain as I'd start reading other reviews and seeing what people think of the books I'm reading or thinking of reading. I really don't need that distraction.

Jen, please don't talk me into Goodreads. LOL. I can't keep up with the bare minimum of social media! Great that it's helped with ARRA noms. I love their awards recognising the best of the year from readers' perspective.

Happy New Year! 2015 was like that for me, too. Life interfered and I didn't read as much as I would have liked. I have a giant spreadsheet with many tabs that started out as an inventory of all my books, then added series info for future reading, books won, reviews done, etc. This past year I also created a shelf for myself on Goodreads for 2015 (not a reading challenge, just a shelf) and that gave me a look at what type of things I read, how often I read one book by an author and then had to have more. The spreadsheet still serves its purpose but this is an easy way to look at a year at a time.

Oh yeah, I hear you about adding more social media. Goodreads works for me because I only do as much as I want. I can add short notes for a review and a rating - or not. I really just use it to keep track of books I've read and it's less data entry for me because I can search for the title or author.

I use Goodreads, Bronwyn, it lists the cover, your thoughts, date finished, etc., and does all the hard work for you in terms of stats, etc. Last year I did a Goodreads Challenge and completed it, fingers crossed for this year. I enjoy that platform, although I'm also aware it is public. I just don't say anything there I wouldn't say in public! Cheers, and good luck with this year's reading!

Malvina, the public part *is* a slight concern for me as I know so many authors personally. Will a recommendation/high ranking for a mate's book be construed as legitimate or as helping a mate? Obviously I think too deeply about such things (as my offspring tell me on a regular basis.)

I try to jot down the books I read in a simple word doc -- I just record the title, author and date I finished it. Mind you, I won't swear every book I read makes it there (life, you know), but it still gives me an idea of what I've read for the year which is kind of nice. Good luck with recording yours!

Thanks, Michelle. It is a beauty AND with loads of healthy recipe too.

I want to go for the simple option, as I don't need any more time-consuming distractions as I try to get my life back in order this year. So that's what I'm starting with -- despite the compelling recommendations for Goodreads. I know myself well enough to know I'd waste time building shelves and entering challenges and reading reviews, when my aim is a simple record.

Bron, I've never recorded the books I read, except for occasional months when I remember to do the "books read this month" thing on the ARRA loop. I keep promising myself to do it every month then I'll have a record of the whole year. Maybe 2016 is the year!

Actually, years ago I joined Shelfari and liked it - more visual than GR, I think - but I've let that slide. Might just google it now...

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